A análise de comportamento coletivo e rastreamento de pedestres apresentam diversas aplicações, especialmente em sistemas de vigilância inteligente. Neste trabalho é proposta uma solução compreensiva com objetivo de atingir rastreamento de pedestre e reconhecimento de atividade coletiva de maneira robusta baseada na utilização de câmeras calibradas. Primeiramente, com o objetivo de remover a necessidade de calibração manual, nós apresentamos um método de calibração automática que explora detectores de pedestres e remoção de fundo para calibragem baseada em otimização não-linear. Adicionalmente, nós propomos a utilização da matriz de calibração para gerar candidatos coerentes com a geometria de cena em detectores de pedestres. Nossa abordagem tem como objetivo diminuir o intervalo de escalas comumente utilizado em detectores baseados em janelas deslizantes, gerando um número menor de extrações de atributos e reduzindo o número de falsos positivos na detecção. Em seguida, nós propomos um método de rastreamento de múltiplos pedestres utilizando câmeras calibradas. Nossa abordagem explora histogramas de cor para rastrear os pequenas regiões (patches) de cada alvo. Os vetores de deslocamento obtidos através do pareamento de atributos de aparência são combinados com um vetor obtido através de um preditor de movimento em coordenadas de mundo. Adicionalmente, nós incluímos informações originárias de detectores de pedestres para aumentar a acurácia do sistema e sua habilidade de recuperação a falhas. Por fim, nós propomos uma abordagem hierárquica de duas camadas para o problema de reconhecimento de atividade coletiva baseada no uso de classificadores Random Forests. No primeiro nível da técnica proposta, nós utilizamos distâncias entre pares de pessoas e suas respectivas velocidades relativas para classificar interações de pares. Estas interações são combinadas com a dinâmica do formato do grupo observado (e sua respectiva velocidade) para o reconhecimento de atividades coletivas. Os experimentos realizados neste trabalho demonstram a qualidade de nossas abordagens em sequências de vídeos disponíveis publicamente. Nossos resultados mostram serem competitivos quando comparados com técnicas do estado da arte e, particularmente, apresentam uma boa generalização entre diferentes cenários de captura de vídeo. / Collective behavior detection and pedestrian tracking present many applications, specially in surveillance systems. In this dissertation, we proposed a complete pipeline for achieving robust tracking and collective behavior recognition based on calibrated static cameras. To remove the necessity of manual calibration, we first present a fully automatic self-calibration system that explores pedestrian detection results and background removal at non-consecutive frames in order to calibrate a static camera using a non-linear cost function. We also propose the use of camera calibration to generate geometrically coherent candidates for pedestrian detection. Our approach aims to reduce the scale range typically used in sliding-window techniques, which leads to less feature extractions and decreased number of false positives. Then, we propose a multi-target pedestrian tracking algorithm using a calibrated static camera. The tracking approach explores color histograms to track patches of each target. Obtained displacement vectors are combined with the expected motion of pedestrians in the world coordinate system. The proposed tracker also incorporates pedestrian detector results to improve the system’s accuracy and its ability to recover from failure. Finally, we propose a two-layered approach for collective behavior recognition based on Random Forests classifiers. In the first level, we use inter-personal distances and relative speeds computed in the world coordinate system to classify asymmetrical pair interactions. Those interactions are combined with group shape dynamics and mean velocity to recognize the collective behavior. We devise a set of experiments to attest the quality of our approaches using publicly available datasets. Results have shown to be competitive against state-of-the-art techniques, and particularly of good generalization across different databases.

A análise de comportamento coletivo e rastreamento de pedestres apresentam diversas aplicações, especialmente em sistemas de vigilância inteligente. Neste trabalho é proposta uma solução compreensiva com objetivo de atingir rastreamento de pedestre e reconhecimento de atividade coletiva de maneira robusta baseada na utilização de câmeras calibradas. Primeiramente, com o objetivo de remover a necessidade de calibração manual, nós apresentamos um método de calibração automática que explora detectores de pedestres e remoção de fundo para calibragem baseada em otimização não-linear. Adicionalmente, nós propomos a utilização da matriz de calibração para gerar candidatos coerentes com a geometria de cena em detectores de pedestres. Nossa abordagem tem como objetivo diminuir o intervalo de escalas comumente utilizado em detectores baseados em janelas deslizantes, gerando um número menor de extrações de atributos e reduzindo o número de falsos positivos na detecção. Em seguida, nós propomos um método de rastreamento de múltiplos pedestres utilizando câmeras calibradas. Nossa abordagem explora histogramas de cor para rastrear os pequenas regiões (patches) de cada alvo. Os vetores de deslocamento obtidos através do pareamento de atributos de aparência são combinados com um vetor obtido através de um preditor de movimento em coordenadas de mundo. Adicionalmente, nós incluímos informações originárias de detectores de pedestres para aumentar a acurácia do sistema e sua habilidade de recuperação a falhas. Por fim, nós propomos uma abordagem hierárquica de duas camadas para o problema de reconhecimento de atividade coletiva baseada no uso de classificadores Random Forests. No primeiro nível da técnica proposta, nós utilizamos distâncias entre pares de pessoas e suas respectivas velocidades relativas para classificar interações de pares. Estas interações são combinadas com a dinâmica do formato do grupo observado (e sua respectiva velocidade) para o reconhecimento de atividades coletivas. Os experimentos realizados neste trabalho demonstram a qualidade de nossas abordagens em sequências de vídeos disponíveis publicamente. Nossos resultados mostram serem competitivos quando comparados com técnicas do estado da arte e, particularmente, apresentam uma boa generalização entre diferentes cenários de captura de vídeo. / Collective behavior detection and pedestrian tracking present many applications, specially in surveillance systems. In this dissertation, we proposed a complete pipeline for achieving robust tracking and collective behavior recognition based on calibrated static cameras. To remove the necessity of manual calibration, we first present a fully automatic self-calibration system that explores pedestrian detection results and background removal at non-consecutive frames in order to calibrate a static camera using a non-linear cost function. We also propose the use of camera calibration to generate geometrically coherent candidates for pedestrian detection. Our approach aims to reduce the scale range typically used in sliding-window techniques, which leads to less feature extractions and decreased number of false positives. Then, we propose a multi-target pedestrian tracking algorithm using a calibrated static camera. The tracking approach explores color histograms to track patches of each target. Obtained displacement vectors are combined with the expected motion of pedestrians in the world coordinate system. The proposed tracker also incorporates pedestrian detector results to improve the system’s accuracy and its ability to recover from failure. Finally, we propose a two-layered approach for collective behavior recognition based on Random Forests classifiers. In the first level, we use inter-personal distances and relative speeds computed in the world coordinate system to classify asymmetrical pair interactions. Those interactions are combined with group shape dynamics and mean velocity to recognize the collective behavior. We devise a set of experiments to attest the quality of our approaches using publicly available datasets. Results have shown to be competitive against state-of-the-art techniques, and particularly of good generalization across different databases.

Abstract Making and performing music is in a central position in classroom music education. Adolescents studying at special music classes engage with musical activities almost daily. Music is present in their lives in versatile ways. Based on several studies, music is the most popular free time activity. Approximately 21% of Finnish 15–29 years old people play some instrument and 15% sing. The aim of this study is to examine what matters are meaningful for adolescents when they rehearse as a group of an entire music class. Twenty 15-year olds of the same music class participated in this research. They produced qualitative materials in interviews and essays. This study analyzed the empirical material produced in a reciprocal relationship with a teacher and her students. The perspectives of interviewing interaction and the double role of the researcher and pedagogue were taken into account. The research material consisted of 31 interviews and 18 essays which were analyzed as narratives. The material was produced in three cycles during a five month period in 2011–2012. The research material was first analyzed using a thematic analysis method in order to find out what the young narrators talked about in their interviews. The next period of analysis utilized models of narrative methodology such as time period analysis (Vendler), process type analysis (Halliday), and semantic participant analysis (Frawley) adapted by David Herman and Matti Hyvärinen. One aspect in the analysis is the idea of adolescents using language in their personal and volitional ways. Another aspect is the idea of participants in the research having two cognitive-social missions: to express something about their experience and to gain and maintain social acceptance adherence to social and cultural roles of competent and acceptable students. The main concepts of this study come from basic elements of narrative according to David Herman. These elements are narrative occasions of telling, sequentiality of narrative, the world, and the happening in narrative, as well as the experience of a narrator. The elements of a narrative are used as criteria of tellability when analyzing the empirical material. By using special narrative methods of analyzing the narratives, the aim of the study is to interpret different ways of narrating and to scrutinize thick narratives told in research context. The main results are concerned with meanings in personal music making, performing and joint social action. When the concert project began, various group processes manifested, and it is almost impossible to segregate a music process and a group process on the basis of the empirical material. There are differences in tellability and thickness in interviewings during and after the concert project. Adolescents mostly narrate about happenings and experiences which have been unpredictable. This research indicates different types of narratives such as habitual narratives, hypothetical narratives, and prospective narratives. / Tiivistelmä Musisointi ja musiikin esittäminen ovat musiikkiluokkien musiikinopetuksessa keskeisessä asemassa. Musiikkiluokalla opiskelevat nuoret toimivat musiikin parissa lähes päivittäin, ja musiikki kuuluu heidän elämäänsä monin tavoin. Musiikki onkin monien tutkimusten perusteella nuorten suosituin harrastus, ja arviolta 21 % 15–29-vuotiaista suomalaisista soittaa jotakin instrumenttia ja 15 % harrastaa laulua. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on selvittää, mikä nuorille on merkityksellistä ryhmän musisointiprosessissa koululuokan valmistautuessa konserttiin. Tutkimukseen on osallistunut yhteensä 20 samalla musiikkiluokalla opiskelevaa 15-vuotiasta nuorta, jotka ovat tuottaneet laadulliset haastattelu- ja kirjoitelma-aineistot. Koska aineistot on tuotettu opettajan ja oppilaan välisessä suhteessa, niitä pyritään tarkastelemaan haastatteluvuorovaikutuksen ja tutkija-opettaja – kaksoisroolin näkökulmista. Tutkimusaineistot koostuvat 31 haastattelusta ja 18 kirjoitelmasta, joita analysoidaan kertomuksina. Aineistot kerättiin viiden kuukauden ajan vuosina 2011–2012. Niitä on analysoitu aluksi väljän teemoittelun avulla, jolla on haluttu selvittää, mistä haastateltavat puhuvat musisointiprosessin kertomuksissa. Sen jälkeen aineistoja on analysoitu kerronnallisen tutkimuksen metodologiasta peräisin olevilla aikakehyksen (Vendler), prosessityyppien (Halliday) ja osallistujaroolien (Frawley) analyysimallien avulla David Hermanin ja Matti Hyvärisen esityksiä soveltaen. Yhtenä lähtökohtana kertomusten tarkastelussa on, että nuoret käyttävät kieltä valitsemillaan tavoilla. Toisena lähtökohtana on, että tutkimukseen osallistujilla on projektissa kahtalainen kognitiivis-sosiaalinen tehtävä: yhtäältä he tuovat ilmi jotakin olennaista kokemuksestaan ja toisaalta esittävät itsensä pätevinä ja hyväksyttävinä oppilaina ja musiikin harjoittajina. Tutkimuksen keskeisimpiä käsitteitä ovat David Hermanin esittämät kertomuksen neljä peruselementtiä, joita ovat kertomuksen tilanteisuus, kertomuksen tapahtumien ajallisuus, kertomuksen maailma tapahtumineen sekä kertojan kokemus. Näitä peruselementtejä hyödynnetään kerronnallisuuden kriteereinä, kun tutkimuksessa tuotettujen haastattelu- ja kirjoitelma-aineistojen kerronnallisuutta paikannetaan. Käytettyjen analyysivälineiden avulla pyritään tulkitsemaan nuorten käyttämiä erilaisia kerronnan tapoja sekä tarkastelemaan tutkimuskontekstissa syntyneitä tiheitä kertomuksia. Tutkimuksen keskeisimmät tulokset liittyvät omakohtaiseen musisointiin, esiintymiseen ja ryhmätoimintaan liittyviin merkityksiin. Konserttiprojektin aikana luokassa käynnistyy erilaisia ryhmädynaamisia prosesseja, ja tutkimusaineiston perusteella on lähes mahdotonta erottaa musisointi- ja ryhmäprosesseja toisistaan. Musisointiprosessin aikana kerätty haastatteluaineisto on vähemmän kerronnallinen kuin noin kuukausi sen päättymisen jälkeen kerätty aineisto. Tutkimuksen perusteella nuoret kertovat tapahtumista ja kokemuksista, jotka ovat olleet musisointiprosessin eri tilanteissa yllätyksellisiä. Aineistoissa on löydettävissä erilaisista kertomustyypeistä muiden muassa tapakertomuksia, hypoteettisia kertomuksia ja tulevaisuuskertomuksia.

Bakgrund Depression är ett globalt folkhälsoproblem som är förknippat med försämrad livskvalitet, minskat socialt stöd och ökad risk för kroniska sjukdomar. Egenvård har en viktig roll i åtgärderna för bättre mående vid depression. Forskning visar att fysisk aktivitet har betydande hälsofördelar för människors fysiska och psykiska hälsa. Vidare genererar gruppträning psykosociala fördelar och ökad livskvalitet. Fysisk aktivitet är lika effektivt som läkemedel, vid mild till måttlig depression, men används sällan. Sjuksköterskan har ett ansvar att, utifrån evidens, utbilda individer om hälsoeffekterna och motivera dem att delta i fysisk aktivitet i grupp. Syfte Syftet var att undersöka upplevelser av fysisk aktivitet i grupp vid depression. Metod En icke-systematisk litteraturöversikt som baserades på 16 vetenskapliga originalartiklar med kvalitativ och kvantitativ ansats. Artikelsökningarna utfördes i databaserna CINAHL och PubMed utifrån kombinationer av sökord. Artiklarna kvalitetsgranskades utifrån Sophiahemmet Högskolas bedömningsunderlag för vetenskaplig klassificering och kvalitet. För att analysera och sammanställa resultaten utfördes en integrerad dataanalys.  Resultat Resultatet sammanställdes utifrån fyra huvudkategorier: Upplevelser av livskvalitet, Upplevelser av socialt stöd, Upplevelser av jaget och Upplevelser av hinder. Utöver dessa kategorier identifierades 12 underkategorier. Resultatet indikerade att individer med depression har övervägande positiva upplevelser av fysisk aktivitet i grupp, där kamratstöd, självtillit och självkänsla var mest framträdande. I resultatet framkom även vissa upplevda hinder. Slutsats Resultatet visade att fysisk aktivitet i grupp kan främja egenvårdsförmågan hos individer med depression, främst tack vare ökat kamratstöd, ökad självtillit och självkänsla. Resultatet belyste även ett antal hinder, varav de flesta gick att övervinna. Egenvård utgör en viktig behandlingsåtgärd för individer med depression och gruppträning kan vara en effektiv egenvårdsmetod. Med denna kunskap kan sjuksköterskan motivera individer med depression att delta i fysisk aktivitet i grupp. / Background Depression is a global health problem associated with reduced quality of life, reduced social support and increased risk of chronic diseases. Self-care plays an important role inpromoting well-being for individuals with depression. Research proves that physical activity has significant health benefits for people's physical and mental health. Furthermore, group exercise generates increased psychosocial benefits and quality of life. Physical activity is as effective as medication, for mild to moderate depression, but seldom used. Nurses have a responsibility to, based on research, educate individuals about thehealth benefits and motivate them to participate in physical group activity. Aim The aim was to examine experiences of physical group activity during depression. Method A non-systematic literature review based on 16 scientific articles with a qualitative and quantitative approach. The search of articles was performed in the databases CINAHL and PubMed based on keyword combinations. The articles have undergone a quality reviewbased on Sophiahemmet University's assessment basis for scientific classification and quality. To analyze and compile the results, an integrated data analysis was performed.  Results The result was compiled based on four main categories: Experiences of quality of life, Experiences of social support, Experiences of the self and Experiences of obstacles. In addition, 12 subcategories were identified. The result indicated that individuals with depression have predominantly positive experiences of physical group activity, where peer support, self-efficacy and self-esteem were most prominent. The result also revealed some perceived obstacles. Conclusion The result indicates that physical group activity can promote a self-care ability in individuals with depression, primarily due to increased peer support, increased self-efficacy and self-esteem. The result also highlighted a few obstacles, of which most could be overcome. Self-care is an important treatment method for individuals with depression, and group exercise can be an effective self-care tool. Based on this knowledge, nurses can motivate individuals with depression to participate in physical group activity.

Submitted by Celso Magalhaes (celsomagalhaes@ufrrj.br) on 2018-09-25T18:27:49Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2017 - Sarai Oliveira Silva.pdf: 2076016 bytes, checksum: 4439b4d16ef8bd453bd30cbb53b93014 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-09-25T18:27:50Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2017 - Sarai Oliveira Silva.pdf: 2076016 bytes, checksum: 4439b4d16ef8bd453bd30cbb53b93014 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-08-31 / This research analyzes answers given by students of the first grade of High School about the elaboration of tables with prototypical examples of functions in a collaborative environment in which the students worked in pairs or groups of no more than three members. The development of this research was based on the Design Experiment on which we established the Theoretical Methodological foundation that also served to establish a framework of teaching and learning of functions for this group. The starting point was the preconceived ideas about the concept of function and about operations on the set of integers, Z. The set of familiar, but unconventional tasks to introduce the theme originated from this central idea, operations in Z. These tasks and the recording of students' written responses are our instrument of data collection and analysis. That is, the students needed to explain or justify the procedures used. The analysis of the answers has revealed that many students come to High School without knowing that the term function is also used to designate a mathematical concept; that the notion of function for them becomes the idea of "making calculations" and that for some students, function is the calculation itself. Based on the considerations above, we believe that the challenge is to think how to intervene in the classroom so that the student is given the opportunity to review his notions and broaden his vision of the concept of function. As a result of this research, we present a didactic guide for teachers containing suggestions of tasks for the study of functions starting from some of the preconceived ideas / Esta pesquisa analisa as respostas dadas por estudantes da 1? s?rie do Ensino M?dio acerca da elabora??o de tabelas, com exemplos protot?picos de fun??es, em um ambiente colaborativo, em que os estudantes trabalhavam em duplas ou em grupos de no m?ximo tr?s integrantes. Para o desenvolvimento desta pesquisa nos apoiamos no Experimento de Design, sobre o qual estabelecemos um quadro de ensino e de aprendizagem de fun??es para esse grupo. O ponto de partida foram ideias preconcebidas sobre o conceito de fun??o e sobre as opera??es no conjunto dos n?meros inteiros, Z. O conjunto de tarefas familiares e n?o convencionais, elaboradas para introdu??o do tema, partiu de opera??es em Z. Estas tarefas e o registro das respostas escritas dos estudantes s?o o nosso instrumento de coleta e an?lise de dados. A an?lise das respostas nos revelou que muitos estudantes chegam ao Ensino M?dio sem conhecimento de que o termo fun??o ? tamb?m usado para designar um conceito matem?tico, que a no??o de fun??o dos estudantes est? associada ? ideia de fazer contas e que para alguns, fun??o ? a pr?pria conta. Como produto resultante desta pesquisa, apresentamos um guia did?tico para o professor, contendo sugest?es de tarefas para o estudo de fun??es, cujo ponto de partida s?o algumas das ideias preconcebidas dos estudantes sobre fun??o

Abstract Childhood obesity is a growing national and international problem. Besides causing health problems, obesity puts a significant burden on national economy. The aim of this study was to find new information and methods with which school health care and gymnastics associations could collaborate to help families with overweight children in their weight control efforts. This study examines the experiences and perceptions on the reasons for childhood obesity and problems related to weight control among families in Oulu (n=10), school nurses and doctors in Oulu Province (n=170) and actors (n=243) involved in associations belonging to the Finnish Gymnastics Federation that arrange activities for children and adolescents. The study was implemented as action study, in which the researcher led a group aimed at parents. During the year-long intervention the children attended an exercise group with a designated leader. Parents participated once a month in the group sessions together with their children. During the children’s session the parents got together 1-2 times per month to discuss or to exercise. Data were collected through interviews with parents, measurements, interviews with children and surveys aimed at school nurses, doctors and gymnastic association actors in 2006 and 2009. The data were analysed using inductive content analysis. The interviews with parents showed that hectic pace of life, work-related fatigue, parental unemployment, socioeconomic factors and a number of changes in the children’s lives gave rise to uncertainty in the children, who might react to it by eating. The families felt that they did not get enough support from health care on weight control-related matters, while representatives of school health care and gymnastics associations criticised parents’ “inability” to act as adults in the family. Due to the children’s poor motor skills, increased childhood obesity was seen in the gymnastics association as complicating the work of coaches. Supporting a regular daily rhythm in families, supporting activities and developing opportunities for family exercise seem to be of significance in children’s weight control. Introduction to exercise among overweight children was facilitated by setting up a special exercise group for them. The readiness for multiprofessional collaboration among school nurses and representatives of gymnastics associations increased during the research process. The working methods of school nurses must be improved so that they, as members of a primary health care expert team, can influence problems in families that may result in overweight in children. The know-how and nationwide operation of gymnastics associations should be made use of in children’s weight control. / Tiivistelmä Lasten lihavuus on kasvava sekä kansallinen että kansainvälinen ongelma. Terveyshaittojen lisäksi lihavuuden aiheuttamat kansantaloudelliset kustannukset ovat merkittäviä. Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli löytää uutta tietoa ja keinoja, joilla kouluterveydenhuolto ja voimisteluseurat voisivat yhteistyössä auttaa liikapainoisten lasten perheitä lasten painonhallinnassa. Työssä tutkitaan oululaisten perheiden (n=10), Oulun läänin kouluterveydenhoitajien ja koululääkäreiden (n=170) sekä Suomen voimisteluliiton lasten ja nuorten toimintaa järjestävien seurojen toimijoiden (n=243) kokemuksia ja näkemyksiä lasten lihavuuden syistä ja painonhallintaan liittyvistä ongelmista. Tutkimus toteutettiin toimintatutkimuksena, jossa tutkija toimi vanhempien ryhmän ohjaajana. Vuoden kestävän intervention aikana lapsilla oli kerran viikossa oma liikuntaryhmä ja ohjaaja, vanhemmat osallistuivat lasten kanssa yhteiselle tunnille kerran kuukaudessa. Lasten tuntien aikana vanhemmat kokoontuivat 1-2 kertaa kuukaudessa keskustelemaan tai liikkumaan yhdessä. Tutkimusaineistoa kerättiin vanhempien haastatteluilla, mittauksilla, lasten haastattelulla ja kouluterveydenhoitajien ja koululääkäreiden sekä voimisteluseurojen toimijoiden kyselyllä vuosina 2006 ja 2009. Aineisto analysoitiin induktiivisella sisällön analyysilla. Vanhempien haastatteluista kävi ilmi, että kiire, työn aiheuttama väsymys, vanhempien työttömyys, sosioekonomiset asiat sekä monet muutokset lapsen elämässä hämmensivät lasta, joka saattoi reagoida epävarmuuteen syömällä. Perheet kokivat, etteivät he saaneet painonhallinta-asioissa riittävästi tukea terveydenhuollolta. Kouluterveydenhuollon ja voimisteluseurojen edustajat puolestaan kritisoivat vanhempien ”voimattomuutta” olla aikuinen perheessä. Voimisteluseuroissa lasten liikapainon lisääntyminen näkyi lasten heikkojen motoristen taitojen vuoksi ohjaajien työn vaikeutumisena. Perheiden säännöllisen päivärytmin ja toiminnan tukemisella sekä perheliikunnan kehittämisellä näyttäisi olevan merkitystä lasten painonhallinnassa. Liikapainoisten lasten liikuntaan totuttelua tuki oman liikuntaryhmän perustaminen. Kouluterveydenhoitajien ja voimisteluseurojen edustajien valmius monitahoiseen yhteistyöhön lisääntyi tutkimusprosessin aikana. Kouluterveydenhoitajien työtapoja tulee kehittää niin, että he voivat perus-terveydenhuollon asiantuntijaryhmän jäseninä vaikuttaa perheen todellisiin ongelmiin, joista lasten liikapaino saattaa olla seurausta. Lasten painonhallinnassa tulee hyödyntää voimisteluseuroissa olevaa osaamista ja valtakunnallisesti laajaa toimintaa.

The thesis is thematically aimed at the issue of impacts of selected respondents' membership in an informal group, it is oriented on the organization of children and youth leisure time, in particular; mostly in the form of long-term holiday stays in the wild. The work is focused mainly on questions, which role in selected members of the group is played by factors, such as family background, personality development, mental status, great experiences, personality of a group leader, interpersonal relationships in the group, environment in which the group forms, etc. The theoretical part shall seek to describe the issues of children and youth leisure time with an emphasis on sociological and psychological point of view. The practical part consists of monographic research and qualitative research. The aim of the monographic research is to describe by means of historical methods the development of group in time, based on social changes which during the existence of this group in the society happened. The aim of the qualitative research is to identify not only the effects of membership in the group to selected respondents, even also causes of these effects. The result of the qualitative research is to establish hypotheses; however, these hypotheses due to the nature of the research cannot be relevant to...

Introduction Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the Middle East occupying the majority of the Arabia Peninsula. In 1934 the exploration of oil propelled this country from one of the poorest to one of the highest in per capita income. Islamic law forms the basis of Saudi Arabia's constitution, its civil and penal codes and guides the Saudis in their daily and family lifestyles, governing morals, dress, eating habits and business dealings. Between 1970 and 1980, there was a sharp increase in the rate of population. Currently the population is estimated at 20.8 million with a projected increase to 44.8 million by the year 2025, with approximately 49% under the age of 20. This rise in population has implications for the health care industry, of which expatriates make up more that 85% of the country's health care system. Purpose The purpose of the study was to examine the social and cultural experiences associated with living and working as a registered nurse in a major teaching hospital in Saudi Arabia and to identify and understand how to develop critical thinking skills in Saudi nurses during a nursing education/intervention program in Saudi Arabia. Methodology The researcher reviewed the literature on critical thinking, which allowed the construction of a conceptual model (Appendix 1) to guide teaching and evaluation of critical thinking skills and maintained the focus on dialogue to stimulate interaction and participation in order to promote critical thinking abilities in Saudi nurses. This study adopted ethnography as a methodology and utilised Spradley's (1979)ethnographic research cyclical tasks for data collection and analysis, which are explained in the exploratory, descriptive and explanatory phases of the research. The researcher was a participant observer and collected ethnographic data in the social situation. A variety of data collection methods were employed, which included observation of students and clinical instructors, evaluation of clinical instructors teaching techniques in utilising critical thinking strategies, evaluation of students' responses in the use of critical thinking strategies, focus group interviews of students and clinical instructors and informal interviews conducted within the hospital setting with relevant informants. The use of multi-methods provided the opportunity to examine more fully the richness and complexities of the culture, by gathering data from various sources to validate the consistency of information to reflect the multiple realities of this cultural group. Cultural domains were identified after examining field notes and interviews for terms and clues repeatedly verbalised by informants, in particular students. The researcher organised the domains to formulate taxonomies, leading to cultural themes, which are answered within the research questions in Chapter 8. The research questions for this study are as follows: Research questions 1. What are the issues related to the implementation of critical thinking in a Professional Development Program to improve critical thinking in Saudi nurses? 2. What major elements are involved in creating and sustaining the Saudi Arabian nursing profession? 3. How might Saudi culture be used to support the development of professional nursing identity? Implications for the study This study has the potential to make a significant contribution to nursing education in Saudi Arabia in promoting critical thinking in nurses and in curriculum development for the following reasons. First, didactic instruction was replaced with an interactive approach by utilising critical thinking strategies and devices to facilitate the development of critical thinking abilities. Second, working with a conceptual framework or model made it easier to manage complex multifaceted concepts, such as critical thinking. The model maintained the focus on dialogue and experiential learning thereby assisting students and staff to integrate theory and practice. This model was effective for the program and if duplicated by other programs, could create a learning environment that would allow the effective development and evaluation of critical thinking. The model is reflected in Appendix 1. Recommendations for the nursing profession in Saudi Arabia * To establish the Nursing Practice Act which subsequently leads to the formation of a National Nursing Registration Board. * To transfer nursing into the higher education sectors, to be on par with their Western counterparts. To foster career incentives for men to meet the cultural needs of the people, increase Saudi nurses in the workforce and to raise the image of nursing. * To enact Saudiisation policy. * To incorporate Islamic nursing history into diploma nursing and other nursing educational programs and implemented into the workplace, government policy and the media. * To construct separate male and female hospitals to solve the gender issues. * To systematically collect, collate and analyse nursing data. * To develop continuing education programs to meet educational needs of nurses.

The thesis, Survey of the methods of costing of hospitalization, deals with the characteristics of the classification system DRG used for costing of hospitalization. The first half of the theoretical part of this work describes the Czech health care in general and specific ways of financing it. We focus on the costs related to the emergency care in hospitals which are classified by the DRG system. The second half of the theoretical part studies the actual principles of costing of hospitalization. The method chosen for this is called Activity Based Costing (ABC). It defines the procedures of costing which are being used in hospitals. At the end, we provide a description of the current and suggested procedures of costing of hospitalization and how they are utilized to set up parameters of the reimbursing mechanism. The practical part of this thesis maps the situation of hospitalization financing in Klatovska nemocnice, a. s. We suggest a new way of financing based on the methodology DRG Restart. Base on the data obtained in Klatovska nemocnice, a. s. we summarize and compare the results of the new method to the current one.

Cette thèse doctorale en psychopédagogie porte sur l’étude du soutien social mis en oeuvre lors d’une activité collective conçue et menée pour favoriser le développement du bien-être au travail chez les enseignants. Cette étude de cas multiples qualitative a été réalisée auprès de huit enseignants de classes d’accueil du secondaire qui ont participé à une activité collective (des groupes de parole) durant six mois. Trois principaux thèmes ont guidé l’organisation de cette recherche : le bien-être psychologique au travail (BEPT), le soutien social et les retombées des groupes de parole. Afin de collecter les données, des entrevues semi-dirigées ont été menées avec des enseignants sur le thème du BEPT selon la conception de Dagenais-Desmarais (2010). Ces entrevues ont eu lieu avant et après la participation des enseignants aux activités collectives visant le BEPT. Ensuite, l’étude du soutien social a été réalisée en cohérence avec les trois principales dimensions associées à ce concept selon Vaux (1990) : les comportements de soutien, les ressources du réseau et l’évaluation subjective du soutien. Les comportements de soutien manifestés durant les groupes de parole ont été analysés. Puis, les ressources du réseau des enseignants, principalement associées à l’activité collective et à ses participants, ont été décrites. La dimension de l’évaluation subjective du soutien a été documentée lors des entrevues semi-dirigées menées après les huit séances du groupe de parole. Dans l’intention de recueillir des données relatives aux perceptions des enseignants sur les retombées de l’activité collective sur leur bien-être au travail, certaines questions de la deuxième entrevue semi-dirigée après les activités collectives ont également été ajoutées sur ce thème. Cette recherche, s’inscrivant dans une perspective systémique, accorde une place particulière à la compréhension des relations bidirectionnelles entre l’individu et son environnement. En s’appuyant sur le modèle processus-personne-contexte-temps de Bronfenbrenner et Morris (1998), le soutien social est étudié sous l’angle des processus, le BEPT est associé à la composante personne, les groupes de parole et l’environnement de travail des enseignants des classes d’accueil représentent le contexte et, finalement, le temps est étudié en filigrane de tous ces éléments. Les résultats de cette thèse sont organisés de façon à mettre en lumière la singularité des cas par leur présentation individuelle en plus de relever les ressemblances et les dissemblances entre les participants par une analyse croisée. Les données de recherche permettent d’esquisser le portrait du BEPT des participants qui oeuvraient en classe d’accueil. En plus de détailler l’état des participants et le contexte de travail avec les défis et les enjeux inhérents à l’enseignement aux élèves allophones nouvellement arrivés, les résultats mettent en exergue une scission entre les programmes d’accueil et les programmes « réguliers » au sein de l’école. Cette scission entraîne des retombées sur toutes les dimensions du BEPT (l’adéquation interpersonnelle, le sentiment de compétence, l’épanouissement, la volonté de s’engager et la reconnaissance perçue au travail). L’analyse des données illustre également l’importance et la complexité des relations sociales dans le contexte enseignant. En ce qui concerne l’étude du soutien social, en plus de faire état des comportements de soutien donnés et reçus par les participants, les résultats mettent en valeur le soutien social indirect. Les participants ont rapporté avoir bénéficié d’une aide qui ne leur était pas directement adressée. Le soutien social donné par un participant pouvait donc être pertinent pour plus d’un membre du groupe et être disponible dans le groupe, sans être provoqué. De plus, les liens tissés dans le groupe de parole ont pu favoriser l’établissement d’un réseau de soutien représenté autant par l’activité et l’environnement créé par celle-ci que par les participants. L’augmentation de la taille du réseau de soutien a également été évoquée par les enseignants à l’extérieur de l’activité. Autant l’évaluation subjective du soutien que la documentation des retombées des groupes de parole sur le bien-être ont permis de mettre en lumière un second processus : le partage de vécu. Alors que les groupes de parole visent à regrouper les individus autour d’une question commune dans une perspective psychodynamique, le partage de vécu permis par le cadre de l’activité a été fréquemment nommé comme favorisant le développement du bien-être. Le caractère novateur de cette recherche se situe dans l’agencement des concepts et dans la précision de son analyse sur le soutien social mis en oeuvre lors d’activités collectives conçues et menées pour favoriser le développement du bien-être au travail. En plus des avancées théoriques et conceptuelles proposées, les résultats ont des retombées pratiques importantes. Par le détail du contexte de travail des enseignants en classe d’accueil, mais aussi par la mise en oeuvre d’activités collectives à l’école, cette thèse propose des pistes de réflexion pour la formation des enseignants, la gouvernance scolaire, les directions et les enseignants. / This doctoral thesis in educational psychology focuses on the study of social support implemented during a group activity designed and conducted to promote the development of well-being at work among teachers. This qualitative multiple case study was conducted with eight reception class (French language classes for newly arrived immigrants in Quebec) teachers who participated in focus groups over a six-month period. Three main themes guided the organization of this research: psychological well-being at work, social support and the impact of the discussion groups. In order to collect the data, semi-directed interviews were conducted on psychological well-being at work according to Dagenais-Desmarais’s (2010) conception. These interviews took place before and after the teachers’ participation in group activities. The study of social support was then led in accordance with the three main dimensions associated with this concept according to Vaux (1990): supportive behaviors, network resources and subjective evaluation of support. The support behaviors carried out during the discussion groups were analyzed. Then, the resources of the teachers’ network, mainly associated with the group activity and its participants, were described. The dimension of subjective evaluation of support was documented in semi-directed interviews conducted after the eight discussion group sessions. In order to collect data on teachers’ perceptions of the impact of the group activity on their well-being at work, some questions from the second semi-structured interview after the group activity were also added on this theme. This research, led in a systemic perspective, focuses on understanding the bidirectional relationship between the individual and his environment. Using Bronfenbrenner and Morris’s (1998) processperson- context-time model, social support is studied as a process, psychological well-being in the workplace is associated with the person component, speech groups and the work environment of reception class teachers represent the context and time is studied as underlying all of these elements. The results of this thesis are organized to highlight the singularity of the cases through their individual presentation, in addition to identifying similarities and dissimilarities between the participants through cross-analysis. The research data allows us to draw a portrait of the psychological well-being at work of the participants. In addition to providing a detailed account of the state of the participants as well as the work context with the challenges and issues associated with teaching newly arrived allophone students, the results highlight a division between the host programs and the “regular” programs within the school. This split has repercussions on all dimensions of psychological well-being in the workplace (interpersonal suitability, sense of competence, fulfillment, willingness to commit and perceived recognition in the workplace). Data analysis also illustrates the importance and complexity of social relationships in the teaching context. Concerning social support, in addition to reporting on the supportive behaviors given and received by participants, the results highlight indirect social support. Participants reported receiving support that was not directed to them. Thus, social support given by a participant could be relevant to more than one member of the group and be available in the group without being provoked. In addition, the ties forged in the focus group may have fostered the establishment of a support network represented by the activity and the environment created by the activity, as well as by the participants. The increase in the size of the support network was also mentioned by teachers outside the activity. Both the subjective evaluation of support and the study of the impact of the discussion groups on well-being highlighted a second process: the sharing of experiences. While discussion groups from a psychodynamic perspective aiming to bring individuals together around a common issue, the sharing of experiences allowed by the activity’s framework was frequently named as promoting the development of well-being. The innovative nature of this research lies in the arrangement of the concepts and in the precision of its analysis of the social support implemented during collective activities designed and conducted to promote the development of well-being in the workplace. In addition to the theoretical and conceptual advances proposed, the results have important practical implications. By detailing the context in which teachers work in reception class, but also by the implementation of collective activities in the school, this thesis proposes avenues for teacher training, school governance, principals and teachers.